Week 11 -

I am starting to struggle with the fact that I can not have one and two and be done. It appears it's all or nothing for me. My average units for a week night is 10 (that is a BIG bottle of wine). On the weekend I shoot up to 15-25 with Sunday always being the worse because I started on Friday night and it builds.

Since my vacation I have switched to beer and I have no idea why. For some reason my pull to wine has lost its appeal for now.

I'm still average 20 to 30 units less than before TSM, but on the other hand I'm having at least AF days a week which would make up the 10 that I'm down. So I don't think there is much of a difference in the amount I'm drinking on the days that I do. I was able to have AF days before TSM, but only after I had drank for several days in a row and I had to sober up for work or something. I will say the withdrawl is different since I starting taking NAL, it's not nearly as intense.

I've stopped having nightmares when I'm off NAL, I still have nightsweats when I'm not on it. I actually have them during the day as well. Not sure it's NAL or just being AF.

I might take my NAL at 75mg due to the Gastric Bypass thing or crush it up like it's been suggested.

I believe my NAL came in the mail yesterday, which means it came in a week (Yahoo!). I ordered 2 months and I have a doctors appt with a specialist on July 15th. I still have 4 left, so just in the nick of time.

I'm only at 3 months, so I still have a few months to go before I know for sure what happens. I think because I am a binge drinker I will be one of those who must go to the 6 month mark.

I just completed week 12 - Not a stellar week for me. The worse days for me are Saturdays and Sundays. Of course this been a holiday weekend I had an extra day to "get my drink on".

My binge started on Thursday night and didn't finish until Sunday night. I have to say that for the first time since I've been on NAL I drank to excess over several days. I hadn't had a binge like this in sometime. I felt out of control most of the time and spent most my weekend in blackout mode or passed out. My husband had to inform me of what I had done.

The good thing is I apparently cleaned the house and made lots of food.

Of course I'm AF day today. I am hoping this was just holiday cause and effect.

I read on one of the other post that maybe I should try to set that limit and try to not drink, it just seems when I start I don't stop, which is the normal way I drank before. I need to get out of the habit and It's not going to happen with NAL alone, I have to put in the effort.

I have to clean up my Signature but wanted to have this for historic value to refer to

Wk1 79 1 AF
Wk2 91
Wk3 70 1 AF
Wk4 80 1 AF
Wk5 74 2 AF
Wk6 71 1 AF
Wk7 82 vac
Wk8 80 vac
Wk9 62 3 AF
Wk10 60 2 AF
Wk 11 80 1 1/2 af
Wk 12 91 2 AF

I also struggle with "drinking as I always do" or out of "habit", versus drinking out of the need or craving. I try to make this decision by the following test. When I head for the drink I think to myself, "am I really craving this or is this something I could skip if I chose to?" Then I think, "If I skip this drink, can I do it without obsessing over it?" If the answer is yes, I don't go for the next drink. I think that given your high numbers and the resulting beating your mood must be taking because of the numbers, that any time you can skip a drink -- but do it without a huge craving for another one -- then you should try it. That's what I'm doing any.

Week 13 - Something Strange is going on.

Not a stellar week in the units department. My total went to an all time high. I have noticed that in the past few weeks they shot up for the first time I hit 112 units (that I can remember) most of this was over the weekend. I had blackout periods and was in a stupor. I got up in the middle of the night to drink, drank at 6am etc.

I became violently drunk at one point which is not really me. I will most likely passout before I get there. Since I am a home drinker only it's safer that way. Mr. Providence just finds something to do.
I did miss one day where I drank without NAL.

THIS IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE NAL OR THE METHOD. This was me pushing it way to much

However, Monday I took my NAL and bought a 6 pack and went home. It lasted me all night, I drank them slowly, I did not get a buzz and I didn't want anymore and didn't panic because the store was closing. Freak of nature.

Tuesday - Same thing. Still no buzz. I know that I'm tipsy but I was alert and clear.

This is never happened since I started TSM.

I am looking forward to this week, maybe my switch has happened or at least dimming.

Sounds like the "switch" might be triggered. Good luck.

Great News Everyone!

Went to the specialist today. Since I'm struggling with other issue I told him all about the TSM to get my NAL. Yep, he said he would let me try this for 5 more months and sent me home with a script. That means that I will only paying $5 a month for NAL plus a $50 copay every 6 weeks to check on me.

I was paying $100 for a 30 day supply.

Yahoo!!!!

Week 14 -

Was much better than the last 3 weeks. My units dropped to 80 down from the 112 the week before.

This week I was able to stay in check during the week with a spike on Friday and Sunday. Since I go Sunday to Saturday and had a rough last weekend my units where higher.

The odd thing is Monday - Thursday my units were well under 10. I stayed at 6-7 a night with one AF day without effort. Friday into Saturday I drank 12 each day and then Sunday I was at an outdoor concert and went to 15.

The other thing is the buzz factor. I really didn't have one, it felt very, very odd. I felt good not waking up with the shakes and hung over.

Things were better with Mr. Providence. He took off for the week to clear his head. He is still working the overnight shift and it's starting to wear on both of us. It was good to have him at home during the evening and to have dinner with him. It was his first night back last night. I was AF but back to not sleeping. What a terrible cycle we are in.

Going into to Wk 15 feeling much better and stronger.

Wow I just realized I didn't post for last week. I read a whole bunch of them.

That being said Wk 15 and 16 were neck in neck at the 80ish unit mark. I had one AF day during both weeks.

Week 17 - I am down on my units at 64. I can say it feels different and I do realize sometimes I push it because there is no rush, just tired and sleepy.

I am still drinking beer and no wine. I don't know what happened but the hangovers are gone. Could be the sugar in the wine I was drinking.

Taking my Nal everytime I drink.

I'm getting to a pivot point I know, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed and going with the flow.

This sounds like solid progress. Congrats! For what it's worth, I find that wine in general gives me brutal hangovers. On the other hand, I can drink as much beer as I want and remain hangover free. So if you don't hate it, stick with beer and you may have fewer, less severe hangovers. Light beer is especially good at not giving me hangovers.